When Lightning Strikes
by pathtales
Summary: Prince Iroh has just lost everything: his honor, his pride, and his son. Near death, he is a saved by the strangest people: the order of the White Lotus. A story on how he came to join them. Set 20-30 years before the show started, I've changed some things like ages to go with the story, but mostly canon.


A/N: set about 20-30 years before Aang wakes up from his nap. Iroh is 25. The rest will be explained in the story. Feel free to ask questions to me or the characters :). Really short intro, I know, plus my other stories, but I broke my wrist and dislocated my knee, and my period a started AND I just started a job, so my schedule of sorts for this stuff will start Sunday :)

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Iroh opened his eyes slowly as he grunted in pain.

"Good, you're awake." Came a voice from inside the tent he was starting to realize he was in. "Don't sit up, you are still badly injured.

"Who are?" The young commander asked horsely.

"Just call me Laura." She replied as she bended some water from a jar as she headed toward him. He immediately shot up but his pain immediately made him lie back down in pain. "What did I say about you being injured?"

"You're a water bender." He coughed out.

"No, I'm an earth bender." She rolled her eyes sarcastically as she began to heal him.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked in a strangled voice.

"Have you not noticed the fact that you can't sit up, have third degree burns, an irregular heart beat, and a major concussion?" She asked, still sarcastic.

"You wouldn't be so quick to heal me if you knew who I was or what I've done." He sighed sadly.

"Oh, I know who you are Prince Iroh." She smirked slightly. He tried sitting up again but quickly felt more pain. "I won't heal you if you keep making it worse."

"Tell me now exactly what is going on." He begged. "Please."

"Because you were injured prior to being struck by lightning." She said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "We never turn away those is need."

"Who is 'we'?"

"All in good time." She replied. "Now hush."

He closed his eyes from exhaustion and me her heal her. He fell asleep, but woke up as She was finishing.

"So what now?" He asked, feeling much better. "Am I a prisoner?"

"No, you are free to leave whenever you wish." She shrugged. "But I would highly suggest you stay until you are healed."

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"You can't know." She said as if it was obvious. "Knowing is knowledge, a fact. But trusting is faith."

"I rather have fact over faith."

"But without faith, what is anything worth?" And with that she left.

Iroh slept uneasily, still unsure, but there was no alternative. He had had a very long year and it had all accumulated to him losing everything and ending up... where ever he was now. He woke up and had no clue as to how long he slept, or even how long he had been here in the first place. His family probably thought he was dead.

Siting up and feeling much better, he tried standing and was able to, but he still felt week. Still untrusting, he decided to take a look outside his tent and was met with the surprise of a lifetime.

Fire benders and Earth benders all hanging about, laughing and doing mundane tasks.

"Prince Iroh, glad to see you are up and doing well." Came a voice Iroh hadn't heard in years.

"Jeong Jeong?" He asked, recognizing the older man.

"The young dragon." He smiled widely. "I am so glad you have been able to join us."

"Traitor." Iroh said, getting into a defensive stance, though poor.

"I'm not going to attack you here." He laughed. "No one is. Unless you ask us for a friendly match. Also you'd have to ask Laura for your bending back."

"My what?" Iroh asked in shock. He tried to make a simple flame and was shocked to discover he couldn't. "What happened to my bending?!"

"I turned it off." Came a voice as Laura approached them. Wearing simple water tribe wraps, she walked up with smirk on her face. "Sort of. Just blocked some of your chi."

"I thought you said I wasn't a prisoner." He glared.

"You're not." She smiled. "But you are my patient. I didn't want you injuring yourself."

"When can I have it back?" He asked.

"When I'm sure you won't kill yourself." She answered before walking away.

"What a woman." Jeong Jeong laughed.

"She's amazing." The younger man, obviously Fire nation as well, nodded. "Too bad she's the only water bender."

"What do you mean?" Iroh raised an eye brow.

"What Piandao means to say," Jeong Jeong explained, "Is the other water benders have either fled or where captured."

"She's brave for being so open." Iroh stated carefully. "You all are."

"We have no ties to any nation." Jeong Jeong sighed. "Or at least not any more. Our order is about keeping the world in balance and at peace."

"And who are you?" Iroh asked.

"The order of the White Lotus." Jeong Jeong smirked.


End file.
